YOUNGSTERS from a village's primary schools will take part in a local piece of history next week.

Children from Ushaw Moor infant and junior schools, and St Joseph's RC Primary School, will join Durham County Council's deputy leader, Don Ross, cutting the ribbon to mark completion of a replacement £3m road-over-rail bridge, near the village.

Innovative engineering skills were required to put the new 70-metre Relley Bridge in place at Stonebridge, near Durham.

The bridge carries the B6302 from Stonebridge over the main East Coast railway line to Broompark, Ushaw Moor and other villages of the Deerness Valley. It was slotted into place using powerful jacks and rollers, at a speed of just 24-metres an hour.

The project was the first time such a technique was used in the county to overcome problems posed by high voltage overhead electricity power cables over the busy London to Edinburgh rail route.

Coun Ross said: "The old, five-span masonry arch Relley Bridge was built in 1872 for nothing heavier than horse drawn traffic.

"It had sub-standard alignment and width, and there was no provision for pedestrians and cyclists.

"When it was structurally assessed as part of a national programme it failed to meet current standards, and in view of its importance to the economic prosperity of the area, we decided to replace it with funding from the Local Transport Plan, and a contribution from the owners, Network Rail."

Coun Ross said that by building the new bridge just south of the original it was possible to keep the old bridge open and minimise disruption.

The old bridge is expected to be demolished at Christmas, when the county council engineers have more time to carry out the task with less train traffic on the line.

Landscaping and tree planting will be carried out along the old stretch of road in the New Year.

Youngsters from the three local schools will join Coun Ross at the official opening ceremony of the new bridge, next Wednesday, November 3, at 11.30am.